York County community gives input on child services

Group hopes to curb suicide, bullying and substance abuse

York County Judge Andrea Strong kicks off first Community Conversation in York Tuesday hosted by the Pennsylvania System Of Care Partnership. (Kara Eberle -- Daily Record/Sunday News)

The conversation started with a poll about depression and suicide.

And the 55 people gathered at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in York were asked to guess the percentage of children in grades six through 12 who reported attempting to take their own lives.

Was it 5 percent? Or 15 percent?

The answer was 10 percent, a bit higher than the state average, according to the 2013 Pennsylvania Youth Survey.

The point of the poll was to gauge perception regarding depression, bullying and substance abuse. And how the community and county agencies can do a better job of addressing them.

The Community Conversation was hosted by Pennsylvania System of Care Partnership, a state initiative that brings together child-serving systems to help them work more efficiently. The event Tuesday night was a way to get community input on those services, said Colleen Igo, the System of Care coordinator.

The idea is to eliminate redundancies, find out where barriers exist and fill any gaps there might be in the system.

"Many of the youth have needs that are more complex," said Michelle Hovis, executive director for York County Human Services. For example, a teen might be involved with child welfare and mental health services. There could be overlap between each agency and the county wants to find out how to avoid that.

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Among the attendees were York County Judge Andrea Strong and Commissioner Doug Hoke. Strong, who presides over family court, said it was great to see so many families and youth at the event.

Amber Myers, 22, understands the challenges some young people face. Today, she is a youth involvement specialist for the state. But when she was a teen, she needed an array of services to help her cope with depression and self harm.

At 18, she dropped out of college and made a call for help. What she got was a job with the York County Joint Planning Team. It changed her life.

"It made me feel empowered," she said.

Less than three years later, she moved into her current position where she relies on her life experiences to help others. She encourages youth to speak up from themselves.

"It doesn't take a degree or being an adult to know what's best for you," she said.

She also put out a plea to adults who might see something wrong.

"I always wanted a teacher to ask," she said. "I wish people wouldn't be so afraid to ask the right questions."

What's next?

The System of Care committee members collected responses from the attendees Tuesday night and will use them in their planning efforts. Organizers hope to have a similar event for the Hispanic community soon.